My Journey to Makkah

I was able to embark on this amazing journey to go on my pilgrimage to Makkah with my mother. Although Makkah was our final destination, we had many stops along the way. One of which was Amman, Jordan. I am wearing a traditional Arab dress called an Abaya. Jordan is very lenient with wardrobe guidelines but when you enter a mosque (anywhere in the world) you must cover your hair out of respect.

This was the cave of the seven sleepers in Amman. I am wearing a Rachel Roy jumpsuit, BCBGMAXAZRIA blazer and Steve Madden sandals.

On our way to Israel we stopped at Mt. Nebo, where Moses was granted a view of the "Promised Land." I am wearing an Asos jumpsuit, BCBG blazer, Steve Madden sandals and a scarf from Nordstrom.

Our next stop was a Mosaic factory. These mosaics are handmade and take up to three months from start to finish. This nice man was trying to catch my attention as I was in awe over the beautiful mosaics, he told me to come and try to glue a piece of the stone.

This is such a beautiful picture I took of Israel.

The ceilings in Al Aqsa Mosque blew me away! There where such intricate detail everywhere in the mosque.

We also visited Palestine, I was very saddened by the living conditions here. I was also sad to hear and see with my own eyes that Israelis and Palestinians have different freeways, license plates and territories, that if crossed by, will lead to death. There are barriers, such as walls, that separate their territories surrounded by barb wire.

Al Masjid al- Nabawi ( the Prophets mosque). Words cannot describe how blessed I am to be able to vista all of these monumental holy destinations. This was my first time visiting Saudi Arabia, I did not know what to expect. It was culture shock in the beginning, however, I am flexible to change and was able to acclimate after the first day of being there.

This was in Makkah, I was touching the Kaa'ba which was a life-changing experience. As you can see in this picture the people around me were experiencing an unbelievable moment as well. I was very fortunate to be able to complete my pilgrimage at such a young age, not to mention, experiencing this sacred journey with my mother ( she's in front of me) making it extra memorable.